Since the late 80s after martial law, Taiwan has focused on the development of its economy. Under the cultural policy, which encourages the art industry, collaboration with the private sector has become a trend. A proliferation of private foundations and museums has been founded to provide various platforms for the exchange and practice of art and discussion. These private initiatives function to fill the gap left by bureaucracy and scarce resources from the government, serving as a parallel force in cultivating the field. This talk will introduce the background and discuss how these private initiatives interact with the art infrastructure in Taiwan. 

Lai Hsiangling is an independent curator based in Taiwan. She received her Master’s degree in art history from the University of Kansas and studied at the Museum Studies Program at George Washington University. Formerly a curator at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts and the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, she has more than 20 years of experience in curatorial practice and management in Taiwan. In addition, she served as Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei, Executive Director of the Dimension Endowment of Art, and Head of the Grant Department of the National Culture and Arts Foundation in Taiwan. She was also the Founding Director of Rockbund Art Museum in Shanghai. In 2001, she was the recipient of a joint fellowship from the National Culture and Arts Foundation and the Fulbright Commission for travel and research in the US. Ms. Lai currently serves on the Boards of the Dimension Endowment of Art and the Spring Foundation in Taiwan.

This talk is co-presented by Asia Art Archive and 1a Space.